Whitcomb: 'The big boss' of Mission Viejo past

Those living and working in today's Mission Viejo may not know the land once was a part of the legendary Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores.

The first owner was former Alta California Governor Pio Pico. Later the land became the property of his brother-in-law, John Forester. Eventually the 113,000-acre ranch came under the ownership of two Irish emigrant families, the O'Neills and the Floods.

In 1882, James Flood—one of the four Nevada Comstock Lode silver kings—asked longtime ranching partner Richard O'Neill to oversee the newly purchased Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores while he remained in San Francisco.

O'Neill, then in his 50s, brought his oldest son, Jerome, 20, to assist him. Six years later Flood died and his own son—also San Francisco based—deeded half ownership of the ranch to the O'Neills. Gradually, Jerome took on more of his father's duties until, by the time of the latter's 1910 death, Jerome was known as "the big boss."

As his great nephew and namesake, Jerome Baumgartner, writes about his uncle in his 1989 history, "Rancho Santa Margarita Remembered," Jerome O'Neill was a short, husky man who'd survived infantile paralysis and wore a leg brace. Although physically strong and a good rider, Jerome had difficulty getting up on a horse. To assist him, a wooden box with steps was kept at the ranch's corral.

Family lore had it that Uncle Jerome had courted a woman who'd eventually turned him down due to his disability. Whatever the case, Jerome O'Neill never married. So while his younger brother, Richard, played the role of dandy—"Every family should have a gentleman, and in this family it might as well be Dick," their father had once said—Jerome remained the focused businessman.

"Not having any other outlets because of his leg," Baumgartner adds, "he probably concentrated on his responsibilities more than most people."

Jerome O'Neill's daily routine indicates this was the case. Every morning he'd don a business suit—including a vest, white shirt, and necktie—before setting out to check on his employees and tenant farmers. When not on horseback, a driver transported him around the vast property.

"The big boss" oversaw the ranch for several decades.

By his 62nd year, however, Jerome O'Neill began showing signs of Parkinson's disease. Two years later, he died. A wake was held and his body was transported to San Francisco for burial. As the train moved slowly through the ranch, hundreds of workers stood along both sides of the tracks, paying their final respects.

Every now and then a vaquero on horseback could be seen, holding his hat to his heart.

--Janet Whitcomb is a lifelong resident of Orange County, and has lived in Rancho Santa Margarita for 20 years. She scours local libraries, historical files and tracks down old tales to give you a glimpse into the history of our communities. Do you know of an old story you want Janet to pursue? Email janet.whitcomb@gmail.com with details.